Who Should I Start? Jordan James or Kyle Monangai

Saturday, September 27, 5:17 AM

San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan James did not appear on the team's injury report for the first time this season. James suffered a broken finger in early August, before preseason games started, and it lingered into the regular season. James had one full practice in Week 2 and three consecutive full sessions in Week 3, but was a healthy scratch from both games, so he is still waiting to make his professional debut. With Christian McCaffrey at the top of the depth chart and Brian Robinson Jr. having a firm grasp as his direct backup, James is unlikely to see much, if any, time on the field if he suits up on Sunday. As such, he has no value in fantasy football going into San Francisco's Week 4 game against Jacksonville.

Friday, February 6, 10:20 AM

A seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai entered his rookie season without much fanfare. However, the 23-year-old impressed in his first campaign, recording 947 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns on 187 touches across 17 games. Monangai showcased impressive efficiency as a rusher, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. As the season progressed, Monangai was able to steal more and more work away from established Bears RB1 D'Andre Swift. Including the postseason, Monangai recorded at least 11 touches in eight out of his final 10 games. From Week 11 through the end of the regular season, neither Monangai nor Swift played more than 59% or fewer than 41% of Chicago's offensive snaps in any contest. In 2026, Swift will be playing on the final season of his current contract. While the two backs project to share backfield work in the short term, Monangai may have done enough as a rookie for the team to feel confident in him as its long-term answer at running back. Monangai's fantasy value in dynasty formats should be on the rise after his encouraging 2025 season.